Unknown Destination
by AyCarayChicolion
Summary: Jane with Gunther travel in a journey looking for salvation, to look or build a stronger faith. The quest of gaining new foes and friends, discovering the past unto the future, walking into bloody wars, and finally understanding that the world is a cruel world to live on. Will the squires ever be the same?


**Warning: This story will have different religious views, if you are easily offended or an extremist – then please turn away now because you have been warned. I am creating equality, tolerance, and respect. **

**Thank-You!**

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**A/N: **-It's in Jane's POV-  
_-_The _italic_ part is when a character is thinking.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Jane and The Dragon. **

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(Chapter 1): Words of Wisdom

"_So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."_  
_Matt 7:12_

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The streets of The Village in Kingdom Kippernium are bustling about in every direction as my green eyes focus attentively to my surroundings to view men unloading barrels that contain wine to sell in the market, while other people are shopping along, jumping from tent to tent to gain a good bargain.  
I turn my head to gaze on a particular shop that sells cute little figurines made of white porcelain in shapes of cute little Chinese dolls dress in red _Hanfu _and of _sheikhs, _an Arab leader_, _riding a camel with a sword in hand.

_Sir Theodore would of have love that figurine of the sheikh, making him retouch his past of untold mysterious and surely his eyes will hold sentiments of nostalgia and pure sadness without him even knowing…_

"For a good deal I will sell you that special figurine for in exchange of a pure gold coin; what do you say lady?" The sell-man, dress in a white blouse with a suede brown vest, interrupts my thoughts as I look up to him instead of the lifeless almost human dolls. "You do know that these collectibles are rare and very exquisite? My, on my last merchant trip to Mecca almost all of the figurines got sold. Those Arabs sure do like their Chinese dolls." He grins showing his yellow teeth as he nears next to me, showing the same foreign doll of the Far East that I was looking at a moment ago.

"No … thank-you sir." I politely decline his offer as I take a step away from him and seeing him put the doll in the table where it does not belong. "Maybe in a different time if destiny permits me, besides I do not have a gold coin with me on the moment."

"Ah, you are just like those Arabs with the destiny thing; what was it again?" The merchant scratches his brown frizzy beard, trying to recollect the stories and myths he heard about in his money trips. "Oh, that is correct. They believe that their destiny is already written in the book of destiny, but do not tell me you believe in the same lies as they do?" He wickedly smirks at me, crossing his arms on his chest as if to show what he says is only correct. "Come on lady, you are born to create your own destiny, right?"

I take a moment to breathe to relax my senses, and praying to theOne above I do not have my trusty Dragon silver sword with me in the moment for if I did I would have slain this despicable ugly man that does not respect other beliefs.

"Of you saying 'you are born to create your own destiny' is already part of your destiny to state it for it was already written besides not only the Arabs believe in destiny, you fool." I state calmly to the man who narrows his dreary eyes at me as I turn around to walk away to the heart of the market, remembering my early orders from Sir Theodore to retrieve some books and I curse myself that I get distracted so easily.

After sometime later I find the shop that I was looking for in the first place. It is of a small book store just barely in the outskirts of The Village that sells second-hand copies. Although I do find it strange since books are usually sold next to the churches (probably nobody visits this shop only lords and of high society that can read, which is not much sadly.)  
I pray silently to the _Lord _that I was born into a noble family because I was able to read and write at an early age and I know my family's status in society also helped me to get my knights apprentice, not only saving Prince Cuthbert and befriending Dragon did much help.

I realize silently as I walk to the brown wooden door of the shop to open it and inside is fill with different books of various sizes in the shelf while others are scatter around in top of tan wooden tables. Some big and small while others are thick and thin with more colors than a rainbow.  
It is a very magnificent sight even to the people who loath books.

"Ah, Jane, the red-haired squire, you have made it. I was starting to get a little worried." A young man in about his early twenties, dress in a red tunic with khaki pants and brown leather boots, state to me humorously as he walks to my side.

"Gavin, you fool." I chuckle softly as Gavin also joins with his blue eyes shining amusingly and sweeping his blond hair from his handsome face. "Did I really take a long time?"

"Not really squire, but you are usually on time. So you had me worried – a little." He smiles a profound smile with his clear eyes never leaving my silhouette.

"There is nothing to worry about Gavin." I state warily, getting uncomfortable with the blond gazing at me with such intensity and I take a step away from him to lazily look at a table with random books on top of it. One red book with gold embroidery gain my attention with the title that reads: _Diamond Sutra_

"You have a good eye Jane." Gavin walks to where I am at, taking the red book from the table and flips its content without really reading it. "This is a copy of a Buddhist text from India. It is very interesting, really, about _Siddhartha Gautama _prince of northern India became _Buddha_ and created his own religion."

"Yes, I have read about the 'enlighten one' and how he was distressed by human suffering that he gave up his life of luxury and fasted beneath a tree for six years until he finally reached _nirvana_." I recollect my information from before that I have read in a book from the castle's library hidden away in the antique yellow cobwebs.

"You sure do know a lot lady squire." Gavin looks up to me as he sets the book in top of the table where it was before and nears closer to me. "Not unlike the other ladies who spend all their time in the mirrors looking at themselves as if they are hidden treasures, thinking that beauty can save them from the gates of Hell. The Devil is not so pleasing, you know." He teasingly smiles, trying to touch my red flame hair, but I slap his hand away and he in return raises his fair eyebrows.

"Anyways, Gavin where are the books that Sir Theodore order?" I state sternly to the young man, looking to him face to face, green eyes to blue eyes.  
_There is no way in hell I am going to let this ultimate fool to intimidate me. _

"Of course Jane wait just a minute." He takes a step back slowly away from me to walk to the backdoor where surely my Sir Knight's books are waiting for him and I sigh contently that Gavin has left me at least for a second of solitude.

It would of have been about a year since I meet the flirtatious blond when I barely turn fifteen, when a year ago Sir Theodore send me on the same errand to retrieve some books for him. It is because of that trip have I really been in depth into the similar language of the books have I discovered my passion about History and its past and its mysteries. And a year later here I am at the same spot waiting for different books to be added to the castle's royal library and to be hidden away until centuries later to be rediscover again, thinking they found a new shining gem in a dark abyss.  
What a lonesome tale.

"Well, here are the books future lady knight." Gavin returns from the backroom with a smile on his lips, making me return to my reality and he gives me the stack of books which startles me from the weight. "And do not worry Sir Theodore already paid for them when he did the order."

"Thank you Gavin." I tell him slowly as my green eyes observe the books hazily in my hands. "Well then it is my time for the leave." I walk to the door to make my exit, but not before Gavin walks swiftly ahead of me to open the door for me. "Uh … thanks, but I could of have endure."

"I know you could, but let me be a friend for once." His blue eyes beam an invisible shiny light-ray as he holds the wooden door for me to exit and I just look sternly back at him for there is no need to response and I finally take my leave from the store and from Gavin with the loud impact from the door.

Finally the hot summer air blows between my skin, enough to make anyone high and I take a deep breath for being outside in the loud street that makes me feel content about my home, of our Kingdom of Kippernium. I can finally take my time to glance at the book's cover of Sir Knight.

One is a blue with red and yellow gems in shape of squares on the top and bottom with a title that states: _The Five Pillars of Islam.  
_My lips form into a smile as I secretly know what all these books contain and I look through another one before I head to the castle. It is of a faded yellow simple book with no title. My eyes grow wide in bewilderment for I have never heard of a book without a title. I set the other books on the ground so I can have better grasp on the book and debate whether or not should I open it because not only will I open the book, I will have also open close wounds from the older knight for I know it is disrespectful to read things that do not belong to you.  
I sigh loudly and decide to open the book with its content and to my surprise it is written in a strange and bizarre language I have never seen in my life. I squint my green eyes to hope maybe I can clarify the peculiar writing, but it is no use. It looks the same and I sigh in defeat, picking up the remaining books on the ground and leaving the outskirts of the busy market to the quiet castle.

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"Sir Theodore." I say to the older knight when I arrive from The Village in his room inside of the castle who is standing next to an opening of outside viewing the gray mountain landscape with the yellow, scorching sun in top of the blue heavens burning the earth. "I have brought the books from town that you ordered me to retrieve."

Sir Theodore takes a slight moment to look at me from the glassless window and I see his chest rise up as he takes a silent, but deep breath with closing his gray melancholy eyes that lived through so much.  
I wonder if I broke through his thoughts and a slash of guilt run inside my skin, hoping someday if Sir Theodore will tell me his thoughts that torment him secretly.  
Someday.

"Jane you returned. I thought you got lost in a slight labyrinth in town." He replies amusingly with a tint of blue, opening his eyes to continue seeing the fields of the outside world that have no owner.

_If only he knew of all the little adventures I venture every time I hit the streets. Just as you have stories to share I also have mysteries to untold, but unless you tell me your torments can I tell you my minor quests inside of The Village. I will be waiting for that day my Sir Knight…_

Ignoring my future and secret promise I reply. "I apologize for taking a longer time than I anticipated." I slightly bow down to show my genuine sincereness, not of being late, but of not having the strength to exchange stories between each other.

"It is all right squire." Sir Knight finally leaves the glassless window to look at me, his aged face expressionless. "Place the books on my desk right next to the papers, if you may."

"Yes sir." I walk to his always clean wooden desk to place the book where he instruct me to, positioning the titleless, faded yellow book with the beautiful yet bizarre writing in front of the stack. I debate to whether ask Sir Theodore about the content of these almost new books and I select to take the risk. "Sir Theodore … if I may ask; what are these books about?"

He continues to look at me as if debating to tell me substance within all these books. I knowing of not only will he tell me about a simple story, he will also open closed wounds he thought he healed a century ago. "Jane –"

A knock on the old wooden door interrupts him and I from our almost touching conversation that will open a new bond between us and we both look at the door waiting who is behind it.

"Yes?" Sir Theodore questions, walking up to the old door to open it to show Gunther standing proudly in the doorway with a pair of iron swords in his leather glove hands.

"It is I Sir Theodore, Gunther." Gunther's prideful and deep voice echoes through the room as his gray eyes scans through the area and takes a moment to gaze at me, before looking again at the older knight.  
_Great, the arrogant squire is here to ruin the moment.  
_"I have brought the sword that Sir Ivan had order me to polish."

"Set it on the desk next to the books." Sir Theodore points to the same books that I place a second earlier, closing the aged brown door softly.

Gunther nods to the older knight and walks up next to me to put the refine swords in top of the desk, taking a quick glance at the books, but dismissing them as if they are not important to the future knight.  
_Fool, dismissing History is the same as dismissing life in its self. _

As if sensing my frowning eyes on him, Gunther looks up to me with his face made out of wonder, but quickly he ignores my stare to slowly walk out of the room.

"Those books are second-hand copy from the Arab world." Sir Theodore states unexpectedly, making Gunther suddenly stop in his tracks and I look at the older knight in disbelief that he will actually speak of his unknown past to us, his squire and Sir Ivan's squire. "The bleached yellow book with no title is the _Qur'an_, the flawless record of _Allah's _word as revealed to Muhammad by the angel _Jibril _or Gabriel_._"

"Not again with the false stories of religion that are just myths and made up." Gunther mutters under his breath and I glare at him in response at his incredulity.

"Is that the reason why the writing is so … peculiar yet beautiful like none I have ever seen?" I take of my eyes of the black-haired squire to face Sir Theodore with his face made out of surprise that I will know of its content of the book and I sigh in defeat. "I cannot lie to you sir for I respect you too much to do so. Curiosity got the best of me and I could not control myself, forgive me please and I understand if you cannot look at me with the same eyes as you just to."

Sir Theodore smiles a small smile before responding. "I understand squire. In fact that happen to me once when I was still a squire a century ago." Gunther and I look at him in surprise, surprise of the first memory of his childhood share unto us for the first time. It is weird to think that once this aged knight was a youngster just like us? "And yes Jane, it is written in Arabic the language of the Middle East."

"And the Five Pillars of Islam? What is that book about?"

"Here we go, more lies to be spread." Gunther breathes silently, shaking his head and crossing his hands on his defined chest, but continues to stay in the room to listen.

"Every Muslim is obliged to perform the five basic deeds or the five pillars in his or her lifetime." Sir Theodore walks to where the books are stationed, picking the blue book with red and yellow gems in shape of squares on the top and bottom and goes through page by page as is savoring the sweet memories he once lived before. "They are_ Salat: _ to pray five timesa day facing Mecca, _Zakat_: to give to the needy, _Sawm_: to fast from dawn to sunset during the month of _Ramadan_, _Hajj_: to make the pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime."

"And the last one Sir Theodore?" I question my mentor, waiting for him to finish.  
What is greater than gaining new information about other culture and learning their beliefs?

"_Shahadah: _recite _La ilaha illahah wa-Muhammad rasulullah, _meaning 'there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah'."

"_La ilaha illahah_." I repeat in a quiet whisper the beautiful sounding phrase that sounds like a magical melody in my ears with the foreign words matching to the rhythm of my tongue, it complements one another. How truthful are these words to my soul and soothes my hearts that sighs in bliss.

"Sir Theodore thank you for telling us your … tale, but I need to leave to finish my other shores." Gunther bows down to Sir Knight and takes a slight moment to look at me before leaving to an unknown destination, leaving me alone with my mentor like how we were in the beginning.

"Sir Theodore I also will take my leave, if you will excuse me." I mimic the same movements as Gunther and leave the older knight who nods his head before I leave in solitude with recollecting his past, but never leaving him alone because his memories will always accompany him where ever he goes.

The warms air hits deep inside of my core as I try to follow Gunther's shadow before he leaves the castle grounds.

"Gunther! Wait!" I shout to the future knight who turns his head with his gray eyes made out of curiosity and stops in his tracks so I can catch up to him in the middle of the practice yard.

"Yes Jane?" He questions me with raising his black eyebrow, waiting for my answer.

"You know I heard you when you mutter under your breath about 'lies being spread' and such."

"Jane listen – "

"No you listen to me Gunther!" I interrupt him sternly, my green eyes burning him softly. "If they were lies then why stop to listen to them; to inspect if there is any truth to them? Your heart is made out of stone, but I do not think made out of hard concrete stone like the castle's stone wall. No. Maybe made of soft rock that can crumble easily. If I could … I mean I can try to … if you let me …I …" I lose my voice when I finally hear and understand the stupid words that are coming from my mouth.  
_I?  
_"Er…" I try to think of something fast knowing what I said was so plain foolish. Did a secret reveal itself not knowing it was secrecy itself? But I will be damned if I ever let him know.

"It is alright Jane; I … I understand where … where you are coming from." Gunther hard features turn soft when he understands the meaning of my words and looks up to the cloudless bleached blue sky. "I do not have time to think whether what the people beliefs are the truth or not and to be honest I really do not care if I go to hell or heaven. The only thing that I care about is that in one month I will be knighted and finally my dream will come become a reality. Then perhaps I can find my faith or salvation or whatever, well if there are no wars until then." He turns away from the sky to look at me. His eyes lost in this cruel world once more and walks slowly out of the courtyard with his heavy footsteps echoing through the practice yard to where he was heading before I interrupted him, leaving through the opening to The Village.

"Gunther, must you hide away in the contents of your solemn heart?" I whisper slowly to the wind hoping it will carry my message to stubborn squire somehow.

_You are lost once again Gunther, lost like the lost sheep without a shepherd. You thought you were finally found and secure when your father finally let you to become a knight without second-hand games, did you not? You must be reborn again by spirit to understand this new meaning of life for these are words of wisdom spoken by the light of day._

I sadly lament as I walk away and I swear I could hear the sound of beating wings with an illusion of white feathers floating in the now vibrant blue sky.

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**A/N: **I know that JaTD is in the nine century but I don't know in the early or the late so I'm going to add from both times and this is Fan _Fiction_ not all is going to be 100% accurate and some stuff I am just going to add randomly.  
**I'm just stating the facts to each religion and of different cultures and I'm not trying to convert no one, just to inform the people to be open minded and to share our differences. **  
**Q/F:** -_Hanfu_ is a traditional attire in China  
-The _Diamond Sutra _dating from 868 is thought to be the oldest surviving printed book in the world.  
-_Nirvana _is the final stage to reach in meditation  
**Read and Review!** **Hours to make, Seconds to Comment!**


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